Paperless or Paper Piecing

As threatened, I compared the timing and result of paper piecing vs paperless paper piecing. See Cristy Fincher's website for clear, complete directions with lots of photos.

Standard Paper Piecing
I design and print my foundation pattern on Sulky Paper Solvy washable stabilizer.  It took 30 minutes to cut fabric, sew and press 1/8 of a 12" star block (a 45º triangle).  I put the 8 triangles together by glue basting before sewing.  It came out 99% perfect - points meet and the center is good where 8 points come together.  It could be slightly better in the center if I had stopped stitching at the 1/4 inch mark.  Next time.  However, it is so near perfect that I will leave it as is ... or not.  I am reluctant to massacre those bias tips.  As far as I can see, the only downside to this method is pulling out the paper.  That's why I use Sulky Paper Solvy.  You can leave it in.  I usually tear it out anyway because I like the hand of plain fabric.  Any little pieces left dissolve in water so I don't have to be too picky.

Paper pattern on Sulky Paper Solvy

Paperless Paper Piecing
Next, I did the same 45º triangle of the next block using the paperless paper piecing method.  First I cut templates for each little piece from doubled freezer paper (iron two pieces shiny sides together).  It took me one hour to assemble and glue the fabric pieces.  I started to sew them and then realized that for a complex pattern like this (13 pieces) I would end up with a product that I couldn't measure and trim precisely so that points and seams matched exactly to its adjacent triangle. I could have made a plastic template and carefully marked it.  It would be do-able, but I am afraid that it has a high potential of ending up wonky, and I don't want wonky stars.  The paperless paper piecing is fascinating, but I will continue with paper and absolutely with glue basting.  Maybe you are braver than I.  However, it would probably work better with a simpler pattern, and there would not be any paper to pull out.

Gluing & sewing went well.  How do I trim it?????

TIP:  By all means check out Cristy Fincher's website and see how paperless piecing is done.  I confess I am a novice, but have decided not to use it.  I am very proficient with paper piecing, but you don't know until you try.

What is glue basting?  Put your pieces right sides together and run a thin line of Elmer's School Glue (no other kind) in the seam allowance of the lower piece.  Carefully matching seams, edges and/or points finger-press the top piece to the lower one.  Then iron to facilitate drying and to set it.  It will all wash out later with no residue or damage to the fabric.  If you are not satisfied with the result you can easily pull the glued pieces apart and redo. Finally, sew the seam.  You will be amazed at the perfection you have created so simply.

First two blocks are a success.

While I am having fun sewing these, I am also preparing the pattern and purchase plan for my spiral that will be my next major project whether I finish the stars or not.  I can always come back to them.

BTW:  My Bigtop spiral and Phoenix will both be showing at HMQS in Salt Lake City May 5-7 and in the Minnesota Quilter's, Inc. Show in St Cloud, MN, June 9-11.

Sew a happy seam this week.

Spiral Quilts - Sew it Together

You have finished all the paper piecing and are admiring the completed shapes on your design wall.  Now you get to sew those shapes together, which is exactly like sewing the pieces of any quilt together. First, you sew the shapes (pentagon and triangle here) of the wedge together until you have all your wedges complete, then sew the wedges together.  With only two shapes this is a relatively simple matter.

You will have points to watch along the seam lines.  Be sure they look the way you want them to before you go on.  Some of my points refused to behave at the seam line so I cut out little flowers from one of the fabrics and appliquéd them over the offending areas (see right side of photo).  This was a better solution than redoing seams until the fabric died.

TIP:  Covering up faults is not cheating.  It is called artistic innovation.

Another problem area may be the very center where all the wedges come together.  This design has a lot of seams jammed up tight at the center point and it was impossible to put them together nicely.  My solution was to make a 4 inch kaleidoscope of six small wedges from my feature fabric, and appliqué it over the bulky center.  From the back I cut away the bulk.

TIP:  One way to avoid problems in the center is to use a single fabric at the point of the wedge and choose a hexagon or octagon for your design (6 or 8 wedges).  That chosen fabric could be fussy-cut to yield an interesting design.  This solution would have to be included as part of the original design.

I have not tried it yet on a spiral quilt, but on my next one I am going to glue baste the seams together instead of pinning.  See Christy Fincher's tutorial on this process.  I tried it on a recalcitrant border on my current work in progress and it was fabulous.  When you think about it, no matter how careful you are with pins, they distort the fabric.  I have spent way too much time redoing seam junctions, and with spirals there are often more than two seams coming together.  RaNae Merrill likes to keep the paper in until the seams are sewn.  I prefer working with the fabric without paper so I tear off at least the seam allowance.  You'll have to find what works best for you.

TIP:  Take your time, work slowly and carefully, and it will be beautiful.

Pressing is a major issue as the bulky seams have a mind of their own.  I just let them play their own game as long as the piece looks nice on the front.  The only time I try to control them is when I have three or more seams at a junction.  Then I like to have all the seams flat in the same direction so I end up with a nice little rosette at the center.  That often means that a seam will have to twist somewhere along its length.  To tell you the truth, I have never noticed those twists when the quilt is done and they don't interfere with the quilting.  They are less bulky than the seam junctions.

Finishing requires placing the circular design onto a background, and I leave it to you to figure out how your special design will be displayed.  I put mine onto a square or rectangular background by sewing large pieces of fabric onto the edges of the spiral however they will work and be easiest to sew.  You can face the mandala, cut away excess fabric after it is turned, and appliqué it to a background.  If you do this, you will have a circular border around the finished spiral.  The heavy seams of the spiral will not turn under neatly so they have to be sewn in a way that allows them to lay flat.

This is the finished quilt that I have been describing.  In my next post I will talk about quilting this type of quilt.

Reverie